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HP subdivides the world
FLOGGER OF EXPENSIVE PRINTER INK HP seems to have figured out a novel way of extracting the maximum amount of money from punters who have been unfortunate enough to buy one of its printers.
Not content with overcharging for ink, the printer manufacturer apparently regionalises its print cartridges, as one user found out. The unfortunate soul in question, Michelle Sullivan, bought an HP Photosmart C7180 printer Down Under but found that when she moved to Malta she was unable to purchase compatible print cartridges.
The problem wasn't due to anything as innocent as regional unavailability, but rather it was down to HP's decision to create specific cartridges for different regions for the same printer.
The surprised and shocked Ms Sullivan went to great lengths to find out whether this apparent HP policy was actually true. After questioning the main dealer for HP in Malta, who told her that ink cartridges were regionalised, Sullivan then had a chat with an HP online support agent.
Unsurprisingly the response she received was less than helpful, with the agent suggesting that Sullivan try Bestbuy or Walmart, not realising that neither of these retailers has stores in Malta.
HP has in the past put some rather money-grubbing restrictions on its printing products. A number of its toner cartridges had page count chips that would stop the printer after a certain number of pages had been printed, regardless of whether there was still toner left in the cartridge. For the benefit of punters' wallets and the environment, a cottage industry flogging 'blank' page counting chips successfully grew out of HP's corporate greed.
This sorry saga has left Ms Sullivan with a six-month old printer that is effectively useless simply because she decided to move. If you've had similar issues with HP's cartridge restrictions we'd love to hear them.
At press time HP has yet to respond to our questions on this matter. µ
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I have a HP Deskjet 5150 that I think was bought sometime in 2004.
I've always lived in the UK so I hope my model isn't one of the ones that could potentially be affected if replacement cartriges i buy in future weren't originally made in the UK.
I always buy re-manufactured/re-filled cartridges from the eBay seller Consumable City.
Not functioning Not functioning after the toner cartridge is installed The printer can not respond after the toner cartridge is installed, but the printer gets back to normal after another replaces the former one. Make sure the ink cartridge is installed properly. For some models of toner cartridge, the chip is installed at the right back. Therefore, the ink cartridge can not be recognized by the printer without the chip at the right hand corner.
more here
http://www.inkjetguide.com.au
Don't know if other companies do this, but HP is basically spyware, IMO. Had to uninstall my HP printer due to faulty install. Took 30 minutes, and I watched it scan every file on my computer as it did so. Then I reinstalled, and this time watched what I was installing. Sure enough, one option lets HP scan your computer whenever it wants, with allegedly minimal impact on performance (running a dinky little laptop at the time, with no ram to speak of, the HP scans would freeze everything regularly). Most people install by clicking 'Next' repeatedly, without paying attention to what they're agreeing to. I don't do that anymore. And not buying another HP anything, ever again.
You just press * and # together on the fax supported printers and on photo smart devices you try Key combinations like Cancel+arrow key or Cancel+Menu. If required enter the code 124. Then Go reset that NVRam. Restart device. Now you will be given option to reset your region or atleast select your region.
I recently moved to Spain and needed a new Black toner cartridge for my Konica-Minolta 2400W. Well, my printer now prints at a snail's page (2ppm) and their driver keeps warning me that I may void my warrenty by using non-Minolta cartridges - all because the toner cartridges are region locked as well. sigh.
@ j-whiner
I am so glad you are happy to be directed as to what you can do with objects you have paid good money for by others (such as HP, the media cartels, and so on).
I also have some suggested directions for these items that you may also enjoy complying with, which follow along the same way of "taking" instructions (in "code", below):
ssa ruoy pu meht kcits
ooohh In trying to combat counterfiting, the big bad corporation regionalizes their products which makes it where I can't use it in Palau. Grow up people, you sound like 2 year olds. You know what? The same thing is true of DVDs and DVD players. OH.. should I complain if I buy a DVD in North America and move to the UK and realize I can't play it because it isn't in PAL format? Oh.. Guess What? HP's computers sold in North America are meant to be USED in North America too. Ohhhhhh they're sooo bad.
I found out exactly the same thing when I moved to India from the US. The replacement ink cartridge I bought in India did not work. It took me hours and hours on the phone with HP support to get an answer out of them - regionalisation. It then took me weeks to get them to change the region code on my printer. The amount of documentation I had to send them to get this done was unbelieveable - legal proof of purchase in US, invoice for printer, invoice for cartridges...it was never ending.
Another issue was that my US ink cartidge was almost dry/empty. Unless you can generate specific print pages by tapping codes into the printer, they cannot give you instructions to change the region code.
I was just so furious with the whole episode. It took me over 2 months to get this resolved.
HP - never again.
The answer now is not to buy their products until this sort of malarkey stops.
If you call the local HP Support, they should be able to change region. I worked a short time as a supporter for HP, and we did change several printers region, including the Photosmart C7180.
HP have had printer cartridges that have regionalised for years first with a physical interlock system (pre 2003 lauch product) and then with fuses in the cartridge (post 2003) that could be blown (in the Factory) to pick a region the cartridge was for.
I have purchased "original" HP cheap cartridges in UK (with holograms) which turn out to be for Asian /Australian region. My printer syas they are counterfeit and won't display supply status etc.